


What the Rabbit Sees

by KeanBlade



Series: Color of Vermilion- AU's of the au color in red. [10]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Crack and Angst, Hashiboob, Multi, i have no idea how to tag this, is a crime against humanity, no beta we die like men, not active
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-12 13:55:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21477472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeanBlade/pseuds/KeanBlade
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Series: Color of Vermilion- AU's of the au color in red. [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1431181
Comments: 21
Kudos: 241





	What the Rabbit Sees

When Madara died (screaming, chasing his dead love) he thought to find the pure lands; and maybe he did, for a time, but... Tobirama wasn't there and Madara had had him for so little time that he couldn't bear to lose him (would never be able too, no matter how long they had). So he... wanders, constantly. He doesn't remember much of it (it is after all, death) but he knows he wanders over the silver shores searching for his love (he doesn't remember his name, that was stolen before Madara realized that something was stealing him away), he can't rest, he can't not until he finds his love (they promised a chance, promised a time together, it never occurred to them that the shikigami wouldn't agree that they had that right).

So he wanders, leaves behind those that try to hold him ("son, you cannot do this. He is less. He is gone. He is not here.") down and keep them apart ("I don't know where he is Madara, I haven't seen him, I'm.... worried. Find my little brother, please") and searches, aching deep for the only thing he really wants _love, dear heart, mine, treasure, To-_ he needs like he is missing his heart (he is); so he finds no rest in the Pure Lands until the Hamura finds him. A tall figure rising out of the mist, a tall figure waiting for him "**Madara Uchiha, I have been looking for you**" said the resonant voice of secrets and sorrow, Madara tipped his chin up, he had no secrets of which he was ashamed nor any lies to weigh his tongue "And I have been searching for my heart who was taken from me." (If his voice shattered and ached it was only a reflection of the truth of his heart-loss) the Shikigami hummed thoughtfully, "**You search for your lover, do you remember him? Do you know his name?**” Madara swallowed "I don't know his name-" "**Then you do not know him**" "-but I know him, I know he is as beautiful as pearl and garnet, I know he looks like the artic fox or wishing given form, I know that he is marked with red not for blood but for life. I know his mind as fast as lightning and always searching for another way, I know he does not accept 'good enough' in himself but always tries for more. I know he would give everything- I know he has given everything- just to see those he loves live another day, that he would do anything to create peace even as he kills for war. I know his beautiful mind, I know his honor true as honed steel, I know his love as deep as the sea, I know his fortitude as true as the north, I know him, and I know how I love him. I know he is the Center of my world."

The Shikigami stared at him, taken aback "**You**..." Madara stepped closer and said in a voice of flame and promises "I do not need to know his name to know him, he is more than a name." The Shikigami examined him "**And you will not rest without him?**" It asked; Madara shook his head easily "There is no rest for me without him." He said it like a fact, like a well-known truth- the base of his whole world. The Shikigami nodded, something a little like a smile sliding over his face, "**Yes. You will do. Come, I shall take you to your love; my brother snatched his soul as it slid past after you**." Madara straightened, fury slashing down his spine, "_what?!_" He hissed, if this thing had harmed his love... The Shikigami nodded, a dark look on his face, "**He has overstepped this time. He is my brother and I have never stood against him but now... Come. You are needed**."

Madara didn't need to be given a second chance, keeping pace with death himself as it moved through the hinterlands anger and desperation a twisting brew inside of him, _if he had come so far, died the way he had, lost him to so much, only to be taken from the one he loves by a capricious god..._ Madara blew out a breath and moved with the Shikigami though half noticed lands. He heard it before he saw it, sounds carrying strangely here “**-and you think yourself good enough to be a match for one of the greatest souls in the world? For my son? You are nothing, an incidental soul that has followed a path I don't know or care about**." "He cares for me" the words were weak in the much loved and longed for voice "**Hmmm, I'm sure he does, a little. But he will forget you now as he moves on in the cycle for another chance with his brother, he doesn't even know your _name_, he will leave you behind winter child, he is far too bright for you and you should let him go. Cease this foolishness and go to the end as I have bid you**," Madara could hear a shaking breath (his or his love’s?) "He has asked that-" "**He has forgotten you!**” roared the first voice, "**He is my son and better than you, you are nothing**-" Madara could hear the hitching intake of air as his dear one dragged in a breath and he snarled, treating through the Vail around them and into the space beyond; a flat expanse of back water and a glowing figure clearly kin to the Shikigami and in front of that, in front was a slender man of Madara's height dressed in fragments of shattered blue armor and shredded black cloth, covered in dirt and blood and still the most wonderful thing he had ever seen.

Madara hardly registered the Shikigami's sound of hot anger as it stormed towards its brother, he was too busy staring at his dear one; God he was- how- God, how had Madara ever forgotten how beautiful his love was. The other man stared at him, a look of shame slipping over his face as he looked at Madara and picked at his dirty clothing, rubbing dirt and trying to hide blood as he dropped his eyes in the face of Madara's finery (funny, Madara hadn't even realized that he was wearing a formal kimono that belonged in a Daimyo’s court not on a shinobi like him, huh, even his hair had been changed the top half twisted up and away into a complex knot); Madara stepped forward, awestruck by his dear one all over again, it mattered not at all what he was wearing when Madara could see him glowing in the dark like a dream (what blessed God had he pleased to have ever caught this man's attention?).

But his love flinched and recoiled when he came close, looking down and away with shame and Madara remembered what the Sage had been saying (fury rose again, and he forced it down, not now, not now) while he tried to find his way here; he stepped closer "Love?" He asked gently, the albino shivered and wouldn't look at him "You know who I am?" the rich voice was soft and tired and Madara stepped even closer sliding one hand around a thin waist and the other over his sharp jaw "Yes" he breathed "of course I know who you are, you are my everything. My-" and it came to him as easy as breathing "-Tobirama" Tobirama shivered but tension slid out of his muscles. Madara tugged, trying to pull the slimmer man closer but Tobirama resisted "I'm dirty" he muttered, Madara snorted "I could not possibly care less" he said firmly and gave up on pulling Tobirama to him instead stepping closed and sliding his arm firmly around the slender waist, coaxing his lover into relaxing into him in degrees until that brilliant white head was tucked into his neck and he could curl his arms fully around the other. He pressed his nose the soft white hair and breathed gratitude twisting through him, Tobirama smelled of the battlefield (mud made of blood and fear) but under that he could smell rosehips and river mint a little, could smell _Tobirama_ and that was enough (but why was the Senju wearing battle armor? Why when Madara wasn't and neither had Hashirama or Izuna) "Love you" he murmured smoothing his hand up Tobirama's back; the younger man shivered and pressed closer arms going tight around Madara "Love you too" he said fiercely.

Madara smiled and dragged his fingers through white hair feeling Tobirama's fingers knot in the ends of his hair, "Thank you for fighting for me, fighting the Sage himself no less" he said gratitude shivering through him, if Tobirama had let the old ass wear him down sooner if would have been a lot harder to find him (the thought of being away from Tobirama for a second more than he had to was a knife in his chest); "I- he was, he was right I'm not- I almost- I was so _tired_ and he just kept-" Tobirama's voice broke and Madara's fingers went tight in his hair. "It's not your fault love, you know as well as I do that this is an interrogation technique. Think about it; exhaustion, repetitive questions, less powerful position, even your clothing; it's not on you if you started faltering when you were being treated like that by a god after a painful death." He said sharply, voice turning harder as he spoke (he hated that this had happened to Tobirama, he _hated_ the Sage for this, _hated_); Tobirama shivered against him, pressing a kiss to his neck and lingering there sending warm tingles over his skin "love...." He groaned deeply, hissing when his contrary lover flicked his tongue over the skin, Madara's hands tightening sharply on the back of Tobirama's neck and his hip "Does this mean you admit you didn't do anything wrong then?" He asked and the albino sagged against him before nodding a little into where he was burrowed into Madara hair and neck "I.... perhaps. I, I _missed_ you bright hawk." Madara sighed, not what he wanted but good enough for now, and pressed his lips the pale shell of Tobirama's ear _"Missed you too love"._

They sagged together, Tobirama had faced the Sage and Madara had wandered in death and both were weary in a way only time and each other could fix; but they couldn't rest, not yet, not until they knew how hard they would have to fight to stay together. Tobirama sighed and drew away a little catching Madara in a warm kiss that lingered as long as it could; when both pulled back they blinked in surprise, gone was Madara's finery and Tobirama's war worn armor, in its place sturdy robes of Uchiha cut over mesh tops and black shinobi pants and over Tobirama's shoulders his fur was draped though he wore no Happuri. It was a relief to both of them to wear clothing that was a reflection of _them_ as a unit after the disaster of the Sages interaction with them; Madara firmed his fingers over the white fur, taking in the look of his lover in Uchiha robes with greedy eyes “God you….” Tobirama blinked at Madara in confusion before kissing him lightly on the corner of the mouth and dismissing the confusion, “Time to face the kami” he told Madara, tugging gently at their intertwined fingers to get the Uchiha’s attention and turning both of them to look at the Sage and his brother. Both kami were standing and facing each other, dark looks on the brother’s faces as the squared off against each other speaking too low for the shinobi to hear; Madara sighed and together they approached the squabbling Ōtsutsuki.


End file.
